Talking sticks
When I've talked about the now 31-2 Aggie baseball team, I've placed a lot of emphasis on the pitching. With reason: it's been really good (duh). But after last night's comeback win against No. 13 Rice, it's about time that the guys doing the hitting get some credit. This looks like an entirely different offensive ballclub than what we've seen in recent years, and that's not all because of the lower seams on the ball.
The numbers for this season are in stark contrast to the last few years when Andy Sawyers was hitting coach and the numbers were anemic. There was very little difference between 2013's (.270 team average, 26 homers, .370 slugging, .710 OPS) and 2014's (.286 average, 25 homers, .379 slugging, .741 OPS), and neither was particularly impressive. But what really got me was the way A&M approached -- or didn't approach -- at-bats. There was no discipline, no thought process about what the situation was and what you could and couldn't afford to do at the plate. If the Aggies had runners in scoring position with two outs, they weren't getting them in. If a hitter got behind in the count, he was in trouble. It wasn't mechanics or anything like that; they just weren't very smart or efficient at the plate.
And now there's this year. It would be safe to say the boys, to this point, are raking. They're hitting .319 as a team, with 38 homers, an slugging percentage of .484 and an OPS of .878. Many of the names are familiar: Nick Banks, Mitchell Nau, J.B. Moss, Ronnie Gideon, Logan Taylor, Blake Allemand and Hunter Melton are all returners from last year (though some are seeing significantly more playing time). Banks was the only guy last year who had a reasonably good season (.327/2 HR/26 RBI), but his numbers have jumped (.425/3/22) this season to All-American levels. Nau (.274/1/15 last year) has been huge as a big-hitting catcher (.381/3/30) and DH; Gideon (.350/6/27) and Taylor (.340/6/27) have seen their numbers explode from last year (.226/1/7 and .269/1/21, respectively). There is significant improvement across the board.
You can claim that's because of the ball if you want, but look at how these guys approach at-bats. They're patient, don't miss bad pitches and make adjustments when they're needed (which means someone is talking to them). Last night, they got behind 3-1 to Rice, continued to grind out at-bats and jumped on the Owls bullpen late for a big 4-3 win. They've come from behind consistently this year, and they've been getting hits with runners in scoring position with two outs. It's a marked difference.
Oh, and Sawyers K-State hitters have a combined slash of (.252/4 HR/.578 OPS). Hmmm.
What, me worry?
When we were in Vegas (VEGAS, BABY!) last week, I went to the sports book at Caesar's palace to watch a Rockets game and because my wife was playing video blackjack at the nearby bar. I asked a guy if they had odds on the Heisman yet and he said no, betting on the Heisman was illegal in Nevada because it's voted on (ok, whatever).
The guy asked why, and I said I was wondering about the odds for Kyle Allen. The guy's eyebrows raised and he replied, "You're not the first person to ask, and that name has come up before. Quarterback?"
"Yeah."
"A&M?"
"Yeah."
"Huh," he replied. "With that guy and Garrett, you shouldn't have anything to worry about."
Yeah, right. Thinking about it, there's still a lot of questions I have as spring practice draws to an end. Here are a few:
Does A&M have a backup to Allen? I feel pretty good that he's going to be more than legit. It's all up to Kyler making it to campus. I feel good that he will, but you never know..Are the new linemen good? Lot of pressure on Avery Gennesy and Jermaine Eluemunor. Gennesy, especially, looks up to the task, but do we really know yet?Will Speedy develop? If he becomes the breakout star we expect, A&M becomes virtually unguardable on the outside.How ready will Jordan Davis be? He's taking snaps with the 1s right now, but how often will we see formations with #89 come fall? Looks like he's starting to catch on, which is good. But again, do we really know?Is the defensive front as deep as we think? You're still depending on a freshman who isn't on campus (Daylon Mack), a guy with multiple shoulder issues (Jay Arnold), a guy who hasn't practiced this spring (Justin Manning) and a redshirt (DeShawn Washington) to fill out the interior rotation. No worries about the ends so long as Daeshon Hall is healthy. I have few worries about Mack, but are we ever going to get what was expected from Manning? If they do, this bunch is STOUT.Who are the linebackers? Is it Alaka/Waker/Washington, or can A.J. Hilliard get into the mix? What about Claude George?Can the linebackers stay healthy? Depth still sucks.Is Justin Evans as legit as he seems this spring? If yes, the Aggies safeties are just fine, thanks, BEFORE Larry Pryor and Justin Dunning show up.Who's the other corner? Is Nick Harvey going to show he's a stud, or just a guy? Will Victor Davis take a big step up?Will Devante Harris ever reach his potential? It's now or never.Can Taylor Bertolet consistently kick a field goal from 35 yards or under?
Outside of that, no issues.
When I've talked about the now 31-2 Aggie baseball team, I've placed a lot of emphasis on the pitching. With reason: it's been really good (duh). But after last night's comeback win against No. 13 Rice, it's about time that the guys doing the hitting get some credit. This looks like an entirely different offensive ballclub than what we've seen in recent years, and that's not all because of the lower seams on the ball.
The numbers for this season are in stark contrast to the last few years when Andy Sawyers was hitting coach and the numbers were anemic. There was very little difference between 2013's (.270 team average, 26 homers, .370 slugging, .710 OPS) and 2014's (.286 average, 25 homers, .379 slugging, .741 OPS), and neither was particularly impressive. But what really got me was the way A&M approached -- or didn't approach -- at-bats. There was no discipline, no thought process about what the situation was and what you could and couldn't afford to do at the plate. If the Aggies had runners in scoring position with two outs, they weren't getting them in. If a hitter got behind in the count, he was in trouble. It wasn't mechanics or anything like that; they just weren't very smart or efficient at the plate.
And now there's this year. It would be safe to say the boys, to this point, are raking. They're hitting .319 as a team, with 38 homers, an slugging percentage of .484 and an OPS of .878. Many of the names are familiar: Nick Banks, Mitchell Nau, J.B. Moss, Ronnie Gideon, Logan Taylor, Blake Allemand and Hunter Melton are all returners from last year (though some are seeing significantly more playing time). Banks was the only guy last year who had a reasonably good season (.327/2 HR/26 RBI), but his numbers have jumped (.425/3/22) this season to All-American levels. Nau (.274/1/15 last year) has been huge as a big-hitting catcher (.381/3/30) and DH; Gideon (.350/6/27) and Taylor (.340/6/27) have seen their numbers explode from last year (.226/1/7 and .269/1/21, respectively). There is significant improvement across the board.
You can claim that's because of the ball if you want, but look at how these guys approach at-bats. They're patient, don't miss bad pitches and make adjustments when they're needed (which means someone is talking to them). Last night, they got behind 3-1 to Rice, continued to grind out at-bats and jumped on the Owls bullpen late for a big 4-3 win. They've come from behind consistently this year, and they've been getting hits with runners in scoring position with two outs. It's a marked difference.
Oh, and Sawyers K-State hitters have a combined slash of (.252/4 HR/.578 OPS). Hmmm.
What, me worry?
When we were in Vegas (VEGAS, BABY!) last week, I went to the sports book at Caesar's palace to watch a Rockets game and because my wife was playing video blackjack at the nearby bar. I asked a guy if they had odds on the Heisman yet and he said no, betting on the Heisman was illegal in Nevada because it's voted on (ok, whatever).
The guy asked why, and I said I was wondering about the odds for Kyle Allen. The guy's eyebrows raised and he replied, "You're not the first person to ask, and that name has come up before. Quarterback?"
"Yeah."
"A&M?"
"Yeah."
"Huh," he replied. "With that guy and Garrett, you shouldn't have anything to worry about."
Yeah, right. Thinking about it, there's still a lot of questions I have as spring practice draws to an end. Here are a few:
Does A&M have a backup to Allen? I feel pretty good that he's going to be more than legit. It's all up to Kyler making it to campus. I feel good that he will, but you never know..Are the new linemen good? Lot of pressure on Avery Gennesy and Jermaine Eluemunor. Gennesy, especially, looks up to the task, but do we really know yet?Will Speedy develop? If he becomes the breakout star we expect, A&M becomes virtually unguardable on the outside.How ready will Jordan Davis be? He's taking snaps with the 1s right now, but how often will we see formations with #89 come fall? Looks like he's starting to catch on, which is good. But again, do we really know?Is the defensive front as deep as we think? You're still depending on a freshman who isn't on campus (Daylon Mack), a guy with multiple shoulder issues (Jay Arnold), a guy who hasn't practiced this spring (Justin Manning) and a redshirt (DeShawn Washington) to fill out the interior rotation. No worries about the ends so long as Daeshon Hall is healthy. I have few worries about Mack, but are we ever going to get what was expected from Manning? If they do, this bunch is STOUT.Who are the linebackers? Is it Alaka/Waker/Washington, or can A.J. Hilliard get into the mix? What about Claude George?Can the linebackers stay healthy? Depth still sucks.Is Justin Evans as legit as he seems this spring? If yes, the Aggies safeties are just fine, thanks, BEFORE Larry Pryor and Justin Dunning show up.Who's the other corner? Is Nick Harvey going to show he's a stud, or just a guy? Will Victor Davis take a big step up?Will Devante Harris ever reach his potential? It's now or never.Can Taylor Bertolet consistently kick a field goal from 35 yards or under?
Outside of that, no issues.
